Innovation in the wearables category scale faster and

innovation in the wearables category, scale faster, and make health even more
accessible to everyone,” says James Park, cofounder and CEO of Fitbit.
Analyzing why Fitbit’s healthcare connections are likely to have attracted
Google, Patrick Lucas Austin wrote in Time that Fitbit already works with
“insurance companies, other firms and even the government of Singapore to
provide customers, employees, and citizens with fitness trackers in what are
likely lucrative deals,” adding that, “for Google, Fitbit’s healthcare ties, along
with its established base of users, might be exactly what it needs to give its
wearable device strategy a shot in the arm.” The Time article also points out
that, according a Statista estimate, “the healthcare tech space could be worth
$24 billion by 2020.”
Not to be left behind, Amazon has launched Amazon Care, which the company
bills as “the best of both virtual and in-person care.” Currently being piloted for
Amazon’s own employees in the Seattle area, the service provides general
healthcare services, such as help with colds, allergies and infections,
contraceptive consultations and STI testing, and prescriptions delivered to the
door, with both in-person visits at the home or office and remote consultations.
TechCrunch observes that, while Apple also offers remote and on-premises
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Why it's interesting:
Having overhauled almost every aspect of human existence, Big Tech is now
setting its sights on the healthcare market. While there’s no doubt that these
tech giants’ prowess in creating seamless interfaces could positively impact the
often difficult-to-navigate US healthcare system, questions over privacy and the
use of customers’ data loom. Fitbit says that, following the Google acquisition,
data will not be sold or used for ads, while Apple says that consumers can tailor
the data they share with its studies. However its moves are viewed, it’s clear
that Silicon Valley is firmly staking its claim in the healthcare market.
healthcare for its employees, Amazon Care is notable given that it’s “much
more external-facing than those offered by its peers in Silicon Valley, with a
brand identity and presentation that strongly suggests the company is thinking
about more than its own workforce when it comes to a future potential
addressable market for Care.” Pointing out that Amazon acquired Health
Navigator, an online symptom-checking and triage tool, in October 2019, CNBC
wrote that “if Amazon Care succeeds among employees, the company could
someday sell it to millions of people who already rely on Amazon for their
groceries, entertainment, and more.”
Fitbit Versa
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America, the country that pioneered mass production
of the automobile and created a car culture of road trips
and drive-in restaurants, is seeing the development of
its first purpose-built car-free neighborhood.